Changed times and overexposure
A mixed blessing that the university football game isn’t until tomorrow. Left to my own devices, I would have spent the afternoon glued to the tube; instead, I decided to go for productivity.
My peer marking assignment is done. My week’s worth of video content has been covered. The related quiz is submitted. And with the rest of the afternoon to spend, I pushed the mower around and around until the grass had been tamed. In passing, no farmer would plant, nourish and harvest a crop that will never be used. Suburban residents do it over and over and over again. The lawn. Whoever dreamed that one up put a good one over on nature and common sense.
I’m not at the wedding. Times have changed, and my photographer gene would be all twitchy. Let me point out how it worked, then; and now. Forty years ago, the photos were taken by someone who invested in equipment and refined technique. The film, carefully chosen and cold stored until use, was exposed and then sent off with expedient wishes to a laboratory. Nobody knew whether the big day was saved until the proofs came back in a fortnight, at great expense. In fact, everything about the day was expensive.
Fast forward. On the website of the prospective couple, a polite request to the guests:
Photos taken during the reception are encouraged! We would, however, ask that any photos taken during our reception be kept for personal use, and not posted on social media sites. We will be happy to share our wedding photos with you afterward!
So much in that short paragraph. Everyone has a camera. No Aunt Mabel with an Instamatic, either. Lenses that capture wonderful digital images. Images that are available within seconds… to all. The request that the sharing be “put on hold” is etiquette. The bride and groom want to have some input into how their day is remembered by all and sundry.
